Chapter 76
Rowan's POV
Colin showed up at my office unannounced at 4 PM, Lucas trailing behind him with the expression of a man heading to his own execution.
"Well, well." Colin dropped into the chair across from my desk without invitation, that infuriating smirk already in place. "Look who's suddenly the poster boy for defending his ex-wife's honor. That statement was nuclear, by the way. Half of Silverton's legal community is still picking their jaws up off the floor."
I didn't look up from the contract I was reviewing. "Get to the point."
"The point," Colin said, leaning back and crossing his legs, "is that you moved faster than I've ever seen you move on anything that wasn't a business deal. Forty-eight hours from scandal to complete public vindication. Color me impressed."
Lucas remained standing near the door, hands shoved in his pockets, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else. "Rowan, I—"
"Save it." I finally set down my pen, meeting his eyes. "If you're here to defend Nora, you're wasting your time."
"I'm not defending her." Lucas's voice was quiet but firm. "What she did was inexcusable. I just... I need to know what happens next."
Colin's smirk faded slightly. "What happens next is entirely up to Lena. She's the one who was defamed. She's the one whose reputation was put through a shredder. If she wants to pursue legal action, that's her call."
"And you'll support whatever she decides," Colin added, watching me carefully.
"Without question." I met his gaze steadily. "Lena's earned the right to handle this however she sees fit. I'm not going to second-guess her or try to influence her decision."
Lucas shifted uncomfortably. "I know Nora crossed a line. Multiple lines. But she's... she's all I have left of my family. My parents made me promise to look after her before they died."
"Looking after someone doesn't mean enabling their worst behavior," Colin said, his tone gentler than usual. "You know that, right?"
"I do. Now." Lucas rubbed the back of his neck. "I've spent years making excuses for her. Telling myself she just needed time to grow up, to find her place. That if I could just smooth things over one more time, she'd finally get her act together."
"But she never did," I said quietly.
"No. She never did." Lucas's jaw tightened. "And I let it happen. Every time she manipulated a situation or hurt someone, I was there to clean up the mess. To convince everyone she didn't mean it, that she was just insecure or struggling."
Colin leaned forward. "You can't keep protecting her from consequences, Lucas. That's not love—that's... hell, I don't know what that is, but it's not helping anyone."
"I know." Lucas's voice cracked slightly. "My parents would be ashamed of what I've let her become. They asked me to take care of her, not to turn her into someone who thinks she can destroy people's lives without repercussions."
The raw honesty in his voice caught me off guard. I'd known Lucas for years—reliable, steady Lucas, who'd taken on the weight of his family's legacy at twenty-five and never complained. But I'd never seen him this... defeated.
"So what are you going to do?" I asked.
"Talk to her. Really talk to her, not just smooth things over." He met my eyes. "Make her understand that this ends now. That if she doesn't own up to what she did and face the consequences, I'm done covering for her."
"About damn time," Colin muttered.
"But," Lucas continued, his voice hardening slightly, "I'm asking you—both of you—not to completely destroy her. Whatever Lena decides to do, I'll accept it. But if there's any way to handle this that doesn't involve public humiliation or criminal charges..."
"That's not up to us," I interrupted. "It's up to Lena. And frankly, after what Nora put her through, she'd be well within her rights to push for maximum penalties."
"I know. I'm just... I'm asking." Lucas's shoulders sagged. "She's my sister. I know she doesn't deserve mercy, but I have to at least try."
Colin stood, walking over to the window. "You ever think that maybe the kindest thing you could do for Nora is to let her actually face real consequences for once? Maybe that's what she needs to finally wake up."
"Maybe." Lucas didn't sound convinced. "But I need to at least talk to her first. Try to get her to admit what she did and apologize to Lena directly. If she refuses..." He trailed off.
"If she refuses, she faces whatever's coming on her own," I finished for him. "No more safety nets."
"No more safety nets," Lucas agreed quietly.
We sat in silence for a moment. Colin was the one who finally broke it.
"You know what's funny?" He turned from the window, that analytical look on his face. "Six months ago, if someone had told me you'd be sitting here defending your contract wife this aggressively, I would've laughed in their face."
"Ex-wife," I corrected automatically.
"Right. Ex-wife." Colin's smile was knowing. "The ex-wife you just publicly defended by revealing private details about your marriage arrangement. The ex-wife whose enemies you're systematically dismantling. Very normal ex-husband behavior."
"I was protecting a business associate's reputation."
"Bullshit." Colin's tone was cheerful. "You were protecting Lena. Period. And you know what? It's about time."
I didn't respond. Couldn't, really. Because he wasn't wrong.
Lucas cleared his throat. "I should go. Talk to Nora before this gets any worse." He paused at the door. "Thank you. For not... for giving me a chance to try to fix this before it goes nuclear."
"Don't thank me. Thank Lena if she decides to show mercy." I picked up my pen again. "And Lucas? Make sure Nora understands that this is her last chance. If she pulls anything like this again, there won't be another conversation. There won't be another warning."
"Understood." He nodded once and left.
Colin remained, studying me with that unnerving intensity he got sometimes. "You're going to tell her, right?"
"Tell who what?"
"Don't play dumb. You're going to tell Lena that you love her."
My hand tightened around the pen. "We're divorced, Colin."
"So? You're also clearly miserable without her. And judging by that statement you released, you're still very much invested in her well-being." He crossed his arms. "How long are you going to keep pretending this was just a business arrangement?"
"It was a business arrangement."
"That you're still protecting like it's your life's mission. Come on, Rowan. I've known you for fifteen years. I've seen you with Nora, with every woman you've dated since. You never looked at any of them the way you looked at Lena at my birthday party. You never defended any of them the way you just defended her."